FEB  4  1910  * 


BX  7748    .B2  M6 
Moon,   James  H. ,   b.  1830. 
Why  Friends  (Quakers)   do  not 
baotize  with  water 


Presented  to  this  Library 
by  the  Author 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/whyfriendsquakerOOmoon 


Why  Friends  (Quakers) 
do  not 
Baptize  with  Water 


JAMES  H.  MOON 
PAliSINGTON,  PENNSYLVANIA 
J909 


Copyright  1909 
By  James  H.  Moon 


Press  of 

The  Leeds  &  Biddle  Co. 

Philadelphia 


^^The  Commission 


^^^^ID  Christ  command  his  disciples 
w    to  baptize  with  water  ? 

Let  us  search  the  New  Tes- 
tament and  see  what  it  says. 
Seven  different  accounts  of  the  "  apos-     Mat  28J9 
tolic  commission  ' '  are  given  in  the  New  Mark 
Testament. 

Did  not  each  of  these  writers  express    Luke  24.47 
in  his  own  language  what  he  understood     jno,  20.21 
to  be  Christ's  command  to  his  disciples     Acts  J. 8 
and  will  not  these  seven  different  records     Acts  J0.42 
all  agree  in  substance  if  genuine  ?  \  Cor.  \M 

Let  us  seek  that  interpretation  which 
harmonizes  them  all  and  not  pin  our  faith 
to  the  popular  conception  of  one  version 
alone. 

We  will  turn  first  to  the  only  recorded  Acts  J.  4,5 
mention  of  water  baptism  ever  made  by  -^^^^  WJ^^ 
our  Saviour. 

We  here  find  that  he  commanded  his 
apostles  not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem, 
but  to  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father 
which,  said  he,  ye  have  heard  of  me;  for 
John  truly  baptized  with  water,  but  ye 
shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
not  many  days  hence. 


2 


The  Commission 


Acts  J.8  Ye  shall  receive  power  when  the  Holy 

Spiritf  is  come  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be 
witnesses  unto  me  both  in  Jerusalem  and 
in  all  Judea  and  Samaria  and  to  the  ut- 
termost parts  of  the  earth. 

Acts  \3  These  are  given  as  the  last  words  of 

our  Saviour  before  his  ascension.  He 
speaks  of  John's  baptism  as  the  water 

Acts  J»5  baptism  of  the  past,  and  of  Holy  Spirit 

Acts  n.J6  baptism  as  the  baptism  of  the  future. 

Acts  J. 8  By  this  Holy  Spirit  baptism  his  apostles 

are  to  receive  power  to  become  his 
witnesses  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth.  There  is  nothing  whatever  which 
implies  a  command  to  baptize  with 
water.  This  whole  context  militates 
against  the  belief  that  Christ  ever  gave 
such  command. 

This  version  of  the  "apostolic  commis- 
sion" stands  prominent  and  is  worthy  of 
double  consideration  because  it  is  sus- 

Acts  U.  J5,I6  tained  by  the  testimony  of  Peter,  who 
remembered  these  words  of  our  Lord, 
and  quoted  from  them  as  being  fulfilled 

Acts  JO.  42,45        when  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out 


t  All  through  this  book  we  follow  the  American  revised 
version  in  using  Holy  Spirit  in  place  of  Holy  Ghost. 


The  Commission 


3 


upon  the  household  of  Cornelius  as  he 
preached. 

According  to  John's  account  of  the 
commission,  Christ  said  to  his  apostles,  jno.20»2J 
"As  my  Father  hath  sent  Me  even  so 
send  I  you,"  and  we  read  that  He  was    Jno.  1.33 
sent  to  baptize  with  the  Holy  Spirit.     Gal.  4.4,6 
Again,  He  commanded  them  to  feed  His     Jno.  21.  I5,J7 
lambs  and  feed  His  sheep. 

John  never  intimates  that  they  were 
sent  to  baptize  with  water. 

Had  Christ  commanded  his  disciples  to 
baptize  all  nations  with  water,  John  would 
certainly  have  known  it,  and  could  not 
have  failed  to  report  a  command  of  such 
world-wide  application.  John's  silence  is 
further  evidence  that  no  such  command 
was  given. 

There  can  be  no  baptism  in  the  com- 
mission other  than  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  according  to  John's  record  as 
we  have  it. 

According  to  Luke;  Christ  commanded 
his  apostles  to  preach  among  all  nations 
repentance  and  remission  of  sin  in  His    Luke  24.47,49 
name,  after  they  should  be  endued  with 
power  from  on  high. 

Luke  does  not  mention  baptism,  except 


4 


The  Commission 


as  power  from  on  high.  Nothing  which 
even  suggests  a  command  to  baptize 
with  water. 

If  such  command  was  given  lyUke 
Luke  3,16  surely  knew  it.     He   tells   us  about 

Luke  24.47,49  Christ's  own  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  His  command  to  preach  among  all 
nations  ;  why  does  he  not  tell  us  about 
this  command  to  baptize  these  nations 
with  water?  Is  it  not  plainly  because 
there  was  no  such  command  ? 
Mark  J6.9,20  According  to  foot-note  in  our  revised 

version,  and  other  authorities,  the  two 
oldest  known  copies  of  Mark's  record 
omit  the  last  twelve  verses,  and  another 
ancient  manuscript,  lately  found,  also 
omits  them  and  states  that  they  were  by 
Aristion  the  elder.  As  the  authenticity 
of  the  account  of  the  commission  in 
Mark's  record  is  questioned,  we  omit 
comment,  altho  we  see  nothing  to  con- 
flict with  the  other  six  versions. 
Mat.  28.J9  According  to  Matthew  ;  Christ  com- 

R.V.  manded  His  disciples  to  go,  teach  all 

nations,  baptizing  them  (not  in  the  name, 
but)  info  the  name  of  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 

No  water   is   mentioned.    He  com- 


The  Commission 


5 


manded  them  to  baptize  into  the  Divinity, 
not  in  water. 

This  harmonizes  all  the  evangelists 
with  both  Peter  and  Paul. 

If  we  reject  this  view  and  assume  that 
in  Matthew  water  baptism  is  intended  to    Mat.  28.  J9 
be  understood,  then  we  are  compelled  to 
believe  that  this  interpretation  of  Mat- 
thew, with  its  formula  for  baptism,  was 
conceived  after  the  apostles'  time  ;  was 
unknown  to  them,  and  is  a  human  con- 
ception and  not  a  correct  rendering  of 
the  teachings  of  Jesus.    Because  with 
water  introduced,  it  stands  alone  and  is 
out    of   harmony   with   the   whole  of 
Christ's  teachings  upon  other  occasions, 
and  because  it  conflicts  with  all  our  other 
six  versions  of  the  commission  ;  and  be- 
cause (as  we  read),  the  apostles  and  first 
Christians  never  did  baptize  with  water    Mat.  28.19 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy 
Spirit,  which  is  conclusive  evidence  that 
to   their   understandings  Christ   never    Acts  8.12,13 
commanded  them  to  do  so.    And  again,     Acts  8.38 
because  many  apostles  and  first  Christ-     Acts  9.18 
ians  did  continue  to  baptize  with  water,     Acts  J6.I533 
sometimes  without  formula  but  mostly  in     Acts  18.8,25 
the  name  of  Jesus,  Lord  or  Christ.  This    Acts  2.38 


6 


The  Commission 


Acts  8J6  they  would  not  have  done  in  defiance  of 

Acts  J0.48  Christ's  command  to  baptize  in  the  name 

Acts  J9.5  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit. 

Upon  these  and  many  other  grounds  we 
claim  that  Christ  never  did  command  his 
disciples  to  baptize  with  water  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  nor  in  any  way  whatever. 
Acts  10A2  According  to  Peter's  account  of  the 

commission,  Christ  commanded  his  apos- 
tles to  preach  to  the  people.    He  men- 
tions no  command  to  baptize. 
Acts  JJ.J5  Peter  did  preach  to  the  people  and  the 

Acts  J0.44  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  them  as  it  had 

fallen  upon  others  of  them  in  the  begin- 
Acts  UJ6  ning,  at  Pentecost.    Then  Peter  remem- 

bered the  word  of  the  Lord,  how  he  said 
' '  John  indeed  baptized  with  water,  but 
ye  shall  be  baptized  wdth  the  Holy 
Spirit." 

Acts  Here  Peter  was  made  instrumental  in 

baptizing  with  the  Holy  Spirit  through 
Gospel  preaching,  and  he  recognized  this 

Acts  U.J6  to  be  the  same  baptism  which  his  Lord 

had  promised  should  supersede  John's 

Acts  2.4  water  baptism  and  the  same  as  that  with 

which  they  were  filled  eight  years  before, 
in  the  beginning  at  Pentecost,  and  the 


The  Gjmmission 


7 


Pentecost  baptism  he  said  was  that  which     Acts  2.16 
the  prophet  Joel  foretold  should  be  pour- 
ed out  upon  all  flesh  ;  upon  sons  and     Joel  2.28 
daughters,  servants  and  handmaidens, 
and  that  they  should  prophesy. 

Can  anything  be  plainer  than  that  this     Acts  2.4 
Pentecost  baptism  and  the  baptism  which     Acts  10.44,45 
was  poured  out  upon  the  household  of 
Cornelius  as  Peter  preached,  and  the     Acts  L5 
baptism  which  our  Lord  promised  in  the     Acts  n.J6 
place  of  John's  water  baptism  and  the     Acts  2.16,18 
baptism  which  Joel  foretold  should  be     Joel  2.28 
poured  out  upon  all  flesh  are  all  one  and 
the  same  baptism,  and  does  it  not  follow 
that  this  is  the  baptism  of  the  commis- 
sion, the  one  baptism  of  the  Gospel,  and 
that  this  is  Christian  baptism  and  that 
there  is  no  water  in  it  ? 

Because  Peter  and  others  continued  to 
baptize  with  water  is  no  evidence  to  the 
contrar3\     They   continued   their  old 
Jewish  customs  generally.    They  pro-     Acts  J5.28,29 
nounced  it  necessary  to  abstain  from     Acts  21.21,25 
certain  meats.    They  insisted  that  Paul    Acts  n.2,3 
should  adhere   to  circumcision.    They     Gal.  2.J2,H 
refused  to  eat  with  Gentiles.    With  such 
Jewish  proclivities  how  could  they  at 
once  abandon  water  baptism  ? 


8 


The  Commission 


Acts  2,38  Some  evidently  realized  that  John's 

Acts  8.J6  water  baptism  had  ended  at  Pentecost, 

Acts  J0,48  but  they  were  not  prepared  to  drop  it 

Acts  J9»5  entirely,  so  sought  to  perpetuate  it  by 

repeating  the  words,  "  In  the  name  of 
Jesus,  Lord  or  Christ. ' '  They  claimed  no 
divine  authorit}^  for  using  this  formula 
and  the  disciples  of  water  baptism  in  our 
day  mostly  discard  it. 
Mat. 2849  Baptism  with  the  formula,   ''In  the 

name  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit' ' 
is  not  to  be  considered  in  connection  with 
the  apostles  and  first  Christians,  as  they 
never  mention  it  and  evidently  never 
practised  it.  Such  formula  was  unknown 
at  that  time.  It  came  in  as  an  after- 
thought ;  a  human  conception  of  later 
date. 

The  great  diversity  in  the  form  of  ex- 
pression used  by  each  of  the  evangelists 
and  Peter  in  defining  Christ's  commission 
to  his  apostles  is  positive  evidence  that 
they  understood  him  to  prescribe  no 
formula  for  baptism,  and  it  is  confirma- 
tion that  no  formula  was  given  that  they 
and  the  first  Christians  for  ages  adhered 
to  no  one  set  form  of  words  when  bap- 
tizing with  water. 


The  Commission 


9 


"In  His  name,'*  as  Christ  is  quoted     Luke  24,47 
by  Luke,  and  in  substance  by  Mark,     Mark  J 647 
John  and  Peter,  always  implies  in,  into     j^^^  23 
or  with  His  Spirit  or  power,  and  not  a  jo.43 
common  given  name  which  mortals  may 
utter.    In  this  name  or  power  Christ 
commanded  his  apostles  to  preach. 

' '  Into  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  Mat.  28.J9 
and  Holy  Spirit,"  as  in  Matthew  alone  R*  v. 
Christ's  command  is  interpreted,  has  the 
same  implication  and  not  a  mere  name 
or  formula  which  human  lips  may  sound. 
To  repeat  these  words  in  connection  with 
water  baptism  is  to  substitute  the  voice 
of  man  for  the  power  of  God. 

Paul  said  of  his   own   commission  :     j  Cor.  J.J7 
' '  Christ  sent  me  not  to  baptize  but  to    Acts  J3.47 
preach  the  gospel,"  and  that  "the  gospel    Rom.  JJ6 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  all 
who  believe." 

Paul's  commission  was  essentially  the 
same  as  that  given  to  other  apostles  to 
preach  among  all  nations  repentance  and  ^^^^  ^4  47 
remission  of  sin  in  his  name  with  power  l^^^  24!49 
from  on  high  ;  for  there  can  be  no  salva- 
tion without  repentance  and  remission  of 
sin. 

Had  our  Saviour  ordained  water  bap- 


lO 


The  Commission 


Mat  2849  tism  to  the  end  of  the  world  the  four 

Mat.  3.n  evangelists   would    certainly   have  all 

Mark  J.8  known  it  and  would  have  testified  to  it 

Luke  346  as  they  and  Peter  all  bear  testimony  to 

Jno.  J.26,33  Christ's  own  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Acts  UAd  Paul  would  have  known  it  and  would  not 

J  Cof.  Ui7  have  denied  it.    Peter  would  not  have 

Acts  J0.42  said  '  *  Christ  commanded  us  to  preach 

to  the  people  "  without  making  any 
allusion  to  water  baptism. 

That  Peter  should  say  Christ  com- 
Acts  J0.42  manded  his  apostles  to  preach  to  the 

people  and  never  at  any  time  intimate 
that  he  commanded  them  to  baptize  with 
water,  certainly  suggests  that  no  such 
command  was  given  and  that  the  present 
popular  conception  of  the  apostolic  com- 
mission has  originated  since  Peter's  time 
and  is  a  human  invention  and  has  no 
divine  authority. 

Neither  the  apostles  nor  first  Christ- 
ians could  have  understood  that  Christ 
commanded  them  to  baptize  with  water 
nor  that  he  prescribed  any  formula  there- 
for, otherwise  they  would  have  used  this 
formula  and  have  referred  to  this  com- 
mand as  authority  for  their  subsequent 
water  baptism.    But  so  far  as  Scripture 


The  Commission 


informs,  no  one  in  those  early  days  ever 
did  baptize  with  water  in  the  name  of 
"The  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit," 
nor  ever  heard  of  such  formula. 

Sometimes  they  baptized  in  the  name     Acts  2.38 
Jesus,  Lord  or  Christ,  but  never  one  word  \o% 
about  the  Father  nor  the  Holy  Spirit.         Acts  J9.5 

Some  baptized  without  formula,  or  if 
they  did  use   formula  it  was  not  con-  8*38"^"^ 
sidered    of    sufficient    importance     to     Acts  9J8 

The}'  baptized  with  water  before  Christ     Jno.  4.2 
gave  them  their  commission,  and  con- 
tinued to  baptize  in  the  same  way  after, 
which  is  yet  another  proof  that  their 
authority  for  water  baptism   did  not 
originate  in  Christ's  command.    Nearly    Acts  18.25 
thirty  3'ears  after  Christ,  some  believers     Acts  19.3,5 
continued  to  baptize  with  John's  baptism 
and  we  do  not  know  how  much  longer  it 
continued. 

When  was  Christ's  command  first 
quoted  as  authority  for  water  baptism  ? 

Not  in  apostolic  times,  nor  tmtil  long 
after. 

When  did  man  first  presume  to  baptize 
with  water,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Spirit  ? 


12 


The  ODmmission 


Some  of  our  oldest  writings  indicate 
the  use  of  this  formula  in  some  places, 
probably  in  the  earh^  part  or  middle  of 
the  second  centur3\  Yet,  historian 
Schaff,  who  was  familiar  with  all  these 
old  records,  says  this  formula  is  not 
traceable  in  its  present  shape  earlier  than 
the  fourth  centurj-. 

Evidently  the  apostles  and  first  Chris- 
tians continued  to  baptize  with  water, 
because  it  was  a  conspicuous  feature  in 
the  special  mission  of  John  the  Baptist 
as  well  as  a  Jewish  rite  in  w^hich  they 
and  their  fathers  were  educated.  They 
had  no  thought  of  Christ's  command  as 
authority  for  water  baptism. 

Paul  said  plainly  that  he  had  no  such 
authority.  Christ  sent  him  not  to  baptize 
but  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

Paul  thanked  God  that  he  had  bap- 
tized so  few.  He  could  not  have  spoken 
thus  slightingly  of  Christian  baptism.  It 
must  have  dawned  upon  him  that  in  the 
fulness  of  the  Christian  dispensation 
there  was  no  place  for  water  baptism; 
otherwise  how  could  he  thank  God  that 
he  had  baptized  so  few  ?  What  dispenser 
of  water  baptism  could  give  such  thanks 


The  Commission 


13 


in  this  day?    Paul  circumcised  Timothy.     Acts  16.3 
and  perhaps  Titus,  because  of  the  Jews.     GaL  23r5 
Did  he  not  baptize  those  few  with  water     I  Cor.  \.U 
for  the  same  pacific  purpose,  or  did  he 
not  at  first  receive  full  light  upon  this 
subject? 

Some  assume  that  Christ  gave  others 
authority  to  baptize  which  did  not  ex- 
tend to  Paul. 

We  cannot  believe  that  all  Christ's 
ministers  to  the  end  of  the  world  were 
commissioned   to   baptize  with  water, 
Paul  only  rejected.    This  reflects   un-     j  Tim.  2.7 
justly  upon  Paul,  the  great  apostle  to  us    2  Tim.  LU 
Gentiles.    Is  it  not  a  mere  evasion  of  the 
gospel  truth  here  and  elsewhere  incul-     i  Cor.  J. 17 
cated,  that  Christ  gave  no  commission  to 
baptize  with  water  ? 

John  the  Baptist  was  sent  or  com-     jno.  1.33 
missioned  to  baptize  with  water  and  the     Mark  I.IO 
Hoh-  Spirit  once  descended  as  John  bap-     Luke  3.22 
tized  with  water. 

The  apostles  were  commissioned  to  go     Luke  24.47,49 

preach  the  Gospel  after  thev  should  be  l'^'^^ 

1      1     .  1  r  ^  •   n  10.42,45 

endued  with  power  from  on  high.  Acts  11.15,16 

We  read  that  the  Holv  Spirit  descended     }  5?/-  2.4 
1     1    ,     ^        ,  ^  Thes.  1.5 

as  the  apostles  preached  the  Gospel.  1  Peter  1.12 

Neither  the  apostles  nor  disciples  were 


14       Water  Baptism  in  History 


ever  commissioned  to  baptize  with  water; 
and  so  far  as  we  read,  the  Hoh'  Spirit 
never  descended  as  they  did  baptize  with 
water. 

WATER  BAPTISM  IN  HISTORY  AS  A 
PAGAN  AND  JEWISH  RITE. 

From  the  writings  of  Grotius  we 
gather  that  some  ancients  baptized  with 
water  in  memory  of  the  world  being 
saved  from  the  waters  of  the  deluge. 

From  the  Brahmans  on  the  Ganges 
and  the  dwellers  by  the  Nile  and  from 
explorers  all  around  the  world  we  learn 
that  water  baptism  was  an  ancient  re- 
ligious rite  among  many  so  called  heathen 
nations. 

Bancroft's  Native        Bancroft  says:  It  is  related  by  all  the 
V  1  2^P  ^60        ^^^^  Spanish  historians  that  when  the 
VoU  2t  P*.  269!       Spaniards   first   visited   Yucatan  they 
Vol.  2t  P.  282.        found  baptism  administered  to  both  sexes 
between  the  ages  of  three  and  twelve. 
It  was  the  duty  of  all  to  have  their  child- 
ren baptized,  for  by  this  ablution  they 
believed  they  received  a  purer  nature 
and  were  protected  against  evil  spirits 
and  misfortune.    None  could  marry  with- 
out it. 


"Water  Baptism  in  History       1 5 


Some  baptized  their  children  with  cere-     Vol.  3,  P.  370 
monies,  which  in  many  points  resembled 
those  in  use  among  Christians. 

Smith  in  his  Bible  dictionary-  says:     Under  Baptism 
It  is  well  known  that  ablution  or  bathing 
was  common  in  most  ancient  nations  as 
a  preparation  for  prayers  and  sacrifice  or 
as  expiatory-  of  sin. 

There  is  a  natural  connection  in  the 
mind  between  the  thought  of  physical 
and  spiritual  pollution.  In  warm 
countries  this  connection  is  probably 
closer  than  in  colder  climates;  hence  the 
frequency  of  ablution  in  the  religious 
rites  of  the  East. 

The  history  of  Israel  and  the  law  of 
Moses  abound  with  such  lustrations. 
The  consecration  of  the  high  priest  de- 
sen'es  special  notice.  It  was  first  b>' 
baptism  then  by  unction  and  lastly  by 
sacrifice. 

From  the  gospel  history  we  learn  that  j^^^^  \52tZ 
at  that  time  ceremonial  washings  had  Mark  7.5,9 
been  greatly  multiplied  by  traditions  of 
the  doctors  and  elders.  The  most  im- 
portant and  probably  one  of  the  oldest 
of  these  traditional  customs  was  the  bap- 
tism of  prosel\i;es. 


1 6      Water  Baptism  in  History 

These  usages  of  the  Jews  will  account 
for  the  readiness  with  which  all  men 
flocked  to  the  baptism  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist. 

Schiirer  in  his  history  of  the  Jewish 
people  devotes  several  pages  to  giving 
reasons  for  believing  that  the  Jews  bap- 
tized proselytes  long  before  the  coming 
of  Christ. 

Dean  Stanley  says  baptism  is  inherited 
from  Judaism. 

Many  other  good  authorities  might  be 
quoted  to  support  the  belief  that  water 
baptism  and  other  ordinances  were 
greatly  multiplied  among  many  Jews 
during  the  last  few  hundred  years  before 
Christ.  There  are  no  Scripture  writings 
which  cover  this  period. 

Tylor  says  :  The  rites  of  lustration 
which  hold  their  places  within  the  pale 
of  Christianity  are  in  well  marked  con- 
nection with  Jewish  and  Gentile  ritual. 

Baptism  by  water,  the  symbol  of  the 
initiation  of  the  convert,  history  traces 
from  the  Jewish  rite  to  that  of  John  the 
Baptist  and  thence  to  the  Christian  or- 
dinance. 

As  we  read  :    Pagans  of  old  baptized 


Water  Baptism  in  History       1 7 


Jno.  J3.  4,J7 


the  face.  Under  the  law  of  Moses  the 
hands  were  baptized.  John  the  Baptist 
baptized  the  whole  body.  Our  Saviour 
baptized  the  feet. 

Now  Christians  complete  the  cycle  and 
again  as  of  old  baptize  the  face. 

Some  early  Christians  deferred  water 
baptism  to  middle  life  or  old  age  and 
many  were  never  so  baptized.  Now 
Christians  insist  upon  infant  baptism. 

Some  Christian  said  :  If  only  one 
finger  remains  above  water  the  baptism 
is  not  valid. 

Now  Christians  say  :    "A  few  drops  of 
water  are  as  good  as  a  river. ' ' 

What  shall  we  say  ?   Wisdom  answers. 
Let  us  hold  to  what  Christ  says  :    * '  John 
indeed  baptized  with  water  but  ye  shall  Acts 
be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit."  Acts  UA6 

Some  ancients,  we  read,  baptized  to 
appease  the  wrath  of  the  Gods  and  to  ex- 
piate sin. 

Some  Christians  now  claim  that  by 
water  baptism  a  child  of  wrath  becomes 
a  child  of  Grace  and  sins  are  washed 
away. 

The  similarity  of  these  two  ideas,  one 
Pagan  and  the  other  Christian,  suggests 


1 8       Water  Baptism  in  History 

a  common  origin  far  back  in  the  ages  be- 
fore man  had  learned  that  God  is  love 
and  that  Jesus  likened  the  Kingdom 
of  Heaven  to  little  children  who  had  not 
been  baptized  with  water. 

That  same  loving  Saviour,  who  blessed 
those  children  in  Judea,  we  do  believe 
now  blesses  our  little  ones  and  is  watch- 
ing over  them  for  good  and  that  to 
these  also  the  heavenly  kingdom  is  com- 
pared. To  His  tender  care  and  keeping 
we  reverently  commit  ourselves  and 
them,  and  we  do  feel  that  for  us  it  would 
be  sinful  to  distrust  this  loving  Saviour 
or  turn  to  man  for  water  baptism. 

Augustine  who,  in  the  fifth  century, 
formulated  from  previousl}^  conceived 
theories  the  dogma  of  original  sin  and 
baptismal  regeneration,  was  himself  edu- 
cated a  Pagan  and  was  well  versed  in 
that  culture,  and  it  impressed  itself  upon 
his  writings  and  the  church  which 
adopted  them. 

It  was  not  the  teaching  of  Jesus  but 
that  of  the  church  which  peopled  the 
Limbo  of  Dante's  Inferno  with  unbap- 
tized  children. 

Justin  Martyr,  a  prominent  Christian 


Water  Baptism  in  History  19 


writer  of  the  second  century  said  to 
Tyhpo  (a  Jew)  :  "John  w^as  a  prophet 
among  3' our  nation  after  which  no  other 
appeared  among  3'ou.  He  cried  as  he 
sat  by  the  River  Jordan  :  I  baptize  you 
with  water  to  repentance  but  he  that  is 
stronger  than  I  shall  come  w^hose  shoes 
I  am  not  worthy  to  bear.  He  shall 
baptize  3'ou  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
with  fire. ' ' 

In  all  the  scriptures  from  Genesis  to 
Revelations  we  find  no  intimation  of 
any  Christian  baptism  except  this  one 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Feet  washing  was  administered  by 
Christ  and  impressivel}^  commended  to 
his  disciples  but  it  is  plainly  not  the  one 
baptism  of  the  gospel. 

From  time  immemorial  some  Pagans 
all  around  the  world  baptized  with  water. 

By  the  law  given  through  Moses  the 
Jews  baptized  with  w^ater. 

John  the  Baptist  was  sent  to  baptize 
Jews  with  water. 

But  no  one  was  sent  to  baptize  Gen- 
tiles wdth  water.  God  sent  his  son  to 
baptize  them  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  All 
flesh,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  are  objects  of 
this  one  baptism. 


Ante-Nicene 

Fathers 

Vol.  U  P.  219 


Jno.  I3.J,J5 


Exodus 

29.4 

40.J2 
Leviticus 

8.4,6 
Jno.  J.3J,33 

Jno.  J.3334 
Gal.  4.4,6 
Acts  2.J748 
Acts  J0.45 
Acts  \  \A5,t6 


20  John's  Baptism 


Joel  2.28  This  is  the  one  baptism  of  the  Gospel 

and  we  know  of  no  other. 

JOHN^S  BAPTISM 

Mark  J,2  John  the  Baptist  was  sent  before  Christ 

Luke  3  4 

Luke  7^27  prepare  the  way  before  him. 

John  was  a  prophet  of  a  dispensation 
Luke^I^SO  previous  to  Christ.     He   was   in  the 

desert  until  the  day  of  his  showing  unto 

Israel. 

Mat.  UM  In  the  vision  John,  called  Elias,  was 

Mat.  J7.J,8  with  Moses  on  the  Mount  and  they  talked 

Mark  9.2,8  with  Jesus.     He  with  Moses  vanished 

Luke  9.28,36  ^^^^  j^^^^  ^^^^^ 

Jno.  J.3J  John  said:  That  he  (Jesus)  should  be 

manifest  unto  Israel,  therefore  am  I  come 
baptizing  with  water.  John  defines  his 
commission  as  only  to  Israel  (the  Jews). 
His  baptism  was  adapted  to  Jews  only 
and  not  to  us,  who  according  to  Jewish 
classification  are  Gentiles.  Evidently 
John  baptized  Jews  only  and  no  Gentiles. 

Acts  J0.28  It  was  unlawful  for  Jews  to  keep  com- 

pany or  come  unto  Gentiles  and  there  is 
no  intimation  that  John  ignored  this 
Jewish  law. 

Jno.  4.9  The  woman  of  Samaria  wondered  that 

Jesus  (a  Jew)  asked  water  of  her,  a 


John's  Baptism  21 


Samaritan,  for  Jews  had  no  dealings 
with  Samaritans. 

Even  in  apostdio^times  we  have  no 
record  that  an>/^T5r'entile  was  baptized 
with  water  ;  noi  that  any  one  born  of 
Christian  parents  was  so  baptized. 

Cruden  sa5's  :  Naaman,  CorneUus  and 
the  Eunuch  were  all  proselytes  of  the 
gate  and  not  full  Gentiles. 

The  Samaritans  were  a  mixed  race 
who  observ'ed  the  law  of  Moses.  They 
also  were  Jewish  prosel3i:es  and  not  full 
Gentiles.  When  the  Jews  numbered 
the  people  they  did  not  count  the  Gen- 
tiles. So  all  Jerusalem  and  Judea  whom 
John  baptized  w^ould  not  include  the  few 
Gentiles  who  lived  among  the  Jews. 

The  freedom  with  which  the  Jews 
follow^ed  John  to  the  Jordan  indicates 
that  they  w^ere  previoush'  familiar  with 
water  baptism. 

But  few  of  that  great  multitude  whom 
John  baptized  appear  to  have  become 
the  disciples  of  Christ. 

John  said  :  ' '  There  cometh  one  after 
me  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoe  latchets 
I  am  not  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  un- 
loose.   I  indeed  have  baptized  you  with 


Concordance 

under 

Proselyte 

Britannica 


Mat,  3^ 


Mat.  3.5,6 


Mark  J.7,8 


22  John's  Baptism 


Jno.  J.26.33  water  but  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the 

Jno,3.30  Holy  Spirit."    And  again  :    "He  must 

increase  but  I  must  decrease." 
Acts  U5  Christ  said  :    '  ']ohn   truly  baptized 

Acts  nJ6  with  water  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 

Acts  n.J6  the  Holy  Spirit."    Peter  quoted  this 

Acts  2.J6,J8  saying  of  our  Lord  and  recognized  this 

Joel  2.28  Holy  Spirit  baptism  to  be  the  same  as 

that  which  the  prophet  Joel  foretold 
should  be  poured  out  upon  all  flesh,  upon 
sons  and  daughters,  servants  and  hand- 
maidens. 

Two  baptisms  are  here  contrasted  by 
John,  Christ  and  Peter.  Baptism  of 
water  must  decrease  with  John  and 
Judaism.  Baptism  of  Spirit  must  in- 
crease with  Christ  and  Christianity. 
Jno.  J.6t34  To  whom  can  we  turn  with  more  con- 

Mark  J.8  fidence  for  knowledge  about  all  baptisms 

Acts  J.4,5  ordained  or  intended  for  us  than  unto 

John  the  Baptist  whom  we  are  told  was 
sent  to  administer  one  baptism,  and  unto 
Christ  who  was  the  author  of  another 
baptism  ? 

Jno.  J.26,33  Three  times  in  eight  verses  John  says 

his  baptism  is  of  water,  thus  distinguish- 
ing it  from  Christ's  baptism  without 
water. 


John^s  Baptism  23 


The}^  are  both  quoted  as  testifying  to 
two  dissimilar  and  distinct  baptisms  ad- 
ministered at  different  times,  one  with 
water  and  the  other  without. 

Neither  of  them  intimates  that  these 
two  baptisms  .shall  ever  be  united,  but 
they  do  both  plainly  intimate  that  they     Acts  1.4^5 
shall  not  be  united,  and  that  the  first    Acts  n.J6 
shall  pass  away  and  the  second  remain,  Jno»3.30 
and  no  other  be  introduced. 

John  says  :  He  (Christ)  shall  baptize     Jno.  L33 
you  with  the  Holy  Spirit ;  but  John 
never  says  that  he  nor  any  one  else  shall 
ever  baptize  yon  with,  water. 

Christ  says  ;  Ye  shall  be  baptized  with     Acts  1.5 
the  Hol}^  Spirit,  but  he  nowhere  even     Acts  IJ.I6 
intimates  that  we  shall  ever  be  baptized 
with  w^ater,  but  with  his  last  words  he 
introduces  his  own  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  its  immediate  successor. 

As  Peter  interprets  the  prophet  Joel  :     Acts  2.J6,J8 
All  flesh,  sons  and  daughters  shall  be     Joel  2.28,29 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  :  but  Joel 
never  prophesied  that  they  should  be 
baptized  wdth  water. 

If  in  these  gospel  days  we  were  to  have 
been  baptized  with  water,  would  not  Joel     Acts  2.16,18 
have  prophesied  of  water  as  well  as  of    Joel  2.28,29 


24  John's  Baptism 


Mat.  3JJ 
Mark  J.8 
Luke  346 
Jno. 


Mark  1.4,5 
Mat  449 
Mat.  9.9 

Jno.  4.2 
Mark  2M 
Luke  5.27 
Jno.  3.22 
Jno.  4.2 

Jno.  3.22 
Jno.  4.2,3 


Jno.  7.22,23 
Luke  2.21,24 

Luke  5.J4 


Spirit  ?  Would  not  our  Saviour  at  some 
time  have  intimated  that  water  baptism 
should  be  continued  and  have  given  some 
instructions  about  it  ?  And  would  he  not 
have  baptized  his  apostles  in  this  way? 
Would  John  when  teaching  that  great 
multitude  of  Jews  on  the  banks  of  the 
Jordan  have  impressed  upon  them  that 
water  baptism  was  only  transient  and 
that  they  would  all  need  to  be  baptized 
again  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 

John  baptized  his  disciples  with  water. 

Christ  called  to  his  disciples,  "Follow 
Me." 

Christ  did  not  baptize  with  water. 
He  is  calling  today,  "Follow  Me." 

The  apostle  John  says  :  Jesus  tarried 
with  his  disciples  in  Judea  and  baptized; 
tho  Jesus  baptized  not,  but  his  disciples. 

Jesus  here  sanctioned  water  baptism 
by  his  presence  for  a  short  time  and  then 
departed,  but  he  never  baptized  with 
water  himself,  nor  directed  others  to  do 
so,  nor  gave  any  instructions  about  it. 

He  likewise  sanctioned  circumcision, 
and  the  law  of  Moses  generally.  It  was 
observed  all  around  him  and  he  did  not 
object.    He  sent  the  cleansed  leper  to 


John's  Baptism  25 


the  Jewish  priest  to  offer  for  his  cleansing 
according  as  Moses  commanded. 

This  offering  which  Moses  commanded     Leviticus  14 
was  two  birds  and  cedar  wood  and  three 
lambs  without  blemish,  &c. 

Shall  all  cleansed  lepers  of  our  day  do 
as  this  one  was  commanded  ?  Shall  we 
keep  the  law  of  Moses,  circumcise  our 
children  and  baptize  with  water,  because 
Jesus  sanctioned  it  in  Judea  ? 

Jesus,  his  disciples  and  the  Judeans 
were  all  Jews  and  this  was  under  the 
law  before  Christian  baptism  had  super- 
seded water  baptism  at  Pentecost.  Of 
course  the}'  baptized  with  water,  circum- 
cised the  flesh  and  kept  the  law  of  Moses  ; 
but  this  is  no  precedent  for  us  whether 
Jews  or  Gentiles  in  these  gospel  days  ; 
since  the  Holy  Spirit  is  poured  out  upon  Acts  2«J7,i8 
all  flesh  in  all  the  fullness  we  are  able  to  Jao.  16.12,14 
bear. 

Jesus  was  baptized  in  the  Jordan,  say-     Mat.  3.J5 
ing    Suffer  it  to  be  so  7iou\''  thus  indi- 
cating that  it  should  not  be  so  always.     Luke  2.2 J 
He  was  also  circumcised,  and  in  after  life 
confirmed  his  earty  circumcision  by  ful- 
filling and  not  destroying  the  law  and     Mat.  5.17 
the  prophets,  and  by  sending  the  cleansed    Luke  5.14 


26  John's  Baptism 


leper  to  offer  as  Moses  commanded,  and 
by  sending  his  apostles  before  Pente- 
Mat.  W*5  cost  to  preach  to  Israel  (the  circumcised) 

Mat  J0.23  but  not  to  Gentiles  (the  uncircumcised) 

until  the  son  of  man  be  come. 
Acts  7,8  He  here  recognized  the  covenant  of 

circumcision  which  God  gave  to  Abra- 
Mat.  3.J5  ham  and  that  it  was  not  yet  fulfilled. 

He  virtually  said  of  circumcision  the 
same  that  he  had  previously  said  of 
water  baptism,  "Suffer  it  to  be  so  now." 
But  we  find  no  manifestation  of  his  will 
that  we  should  continue  to  observ^e  the 
covenants  and  customs  of  that  dispensa- 
tion of  which  water  baptism  was  one  : 
and  he  never  made  any  distinction  what- 
Acts  1,5  ever  in  favor  of  it  but  with  his  last  words 

Acts  U.J6  introduced  his  own  baptism  of  the  Holy 

Spirit  as  its  immediate  successor. 
Jno.  19.30  Jesus  exclaimed  upon  the  cross  :  "It 

is  finished."    The  law  and  the  prophets 
were  fulfilled.    He  opened  to  us  a  more 
J  Cor,  I2.3J  excellent  way  under  his  own  glorious 

Col.  2.1447  gospel   dispensation  of  which  that  of 

Heb.  J0.J,9  Moses  was  a  shadow.    He  took  away 

Heb.  9.J3,28  the  first  covenant  that  he  might  establish 

Heb.  9.12  the  second.    He  purchased  our  redemp- 

tion by  his  blood  shed  on  Calvary.  He 


John's  Baptism  27 


died   and   was   buried,    he   arose   and     Mat.  27.50,60 

ascended.    Angels  said  to  his  disciples  : 

Wh}^  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  Heaven?     Acts  I. n 

This  same  Jesus  shall  so  come  in  like 

manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 

Heaven. 

The  disciples  returned  to  Jerusalem     Acts  IA2 
and  tarried  there  as  Jesus  had  previously    Acts  I A 
commanded  them. 

Upon  the  day  of  Pentecost  he  came    Luke  24.49 
again  as  the  angels  had  said  and  as  he     Acts  2.J,J8 
had  often  promised  his  apostles  and  dis-     jno.  J6.J6,22 
ciples.    He  came  as  the  Comforter,  the     jno.  J4.J6,2l 
Holy  Spirit  to  teach  us  all  things  and  to 
abide  with  us  forever. 

By  this  one  spirit  are  we  now  all  bap-     j  Cor.  J2.I3t23 
tized  into  one  body,  Jews  and  Gentiles,     Gal.  3.28 
Bond  and  Free,  male  and  female,  all  one     Acts  2.1648 
in  Christ  Jesus.    All  flesh,   sons  and 
daughters,  serv^ants  and  handmaidens, 
old  and  j^oung. 

By  no  other  baptism  can  we  all  be 
baptized  into  one  bod}'.  Water  baptism 
diverts  from  this,  one  baptism  into  one 
body. 

Farrar  sa3^s  :    ' '  That  this  first  Pente-     Life  of 
cost  marked  an  eternal  moment  in  the 
history  of  mankind  no  reader  of  history 


P.  52 


28     Water  Baptism  and  Christian 

will  surely  deny.  Undoubtedly  in  every 
age  since  then  the  sons  of  God  have  to 
an  extent,  unknown  before,  been  taught 
by  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  undoubtedly  since 
then  to  an  extent  unrealized  before  we 
may  know  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
dwelleth  in  us.  Undoubtedly  w^e  may 
enjoy  a  nearer  sense  of  union  with  God 
in  Christ  than  was  accorded  to  the  saints 
of  the  old  dispensation  and  a  thankful 
certainty  that  we  see  the  days  which 
kings  and  prophets  desired  to  see  and  did 
not  see  them,  and  hear  the  truths  which 
they  desired  to  hear  and  did  not  hear 
them,  and  that  this  new  dispensation  be- 
gan henceforth  in  all  its  fulness," 

WATER  BAPTISM  AND  CHRISTIAN 
BAPTISM 

Water  is  not  to  be  understood  when- 
ever baptism  is  named  ;  neither  is  bap- 
tism to  be  understood  whenever  water  is 
named.  There  are  many  baptisms  with- 
out water  mentioned  in  Scripture  and 
elsewhere. 

The  four  evangelists  and  Peter  each 
define  two  different  and  distinct  baptisms 
following  closely  after  each  other.  First 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian  29 


John's  baptism  of  water,  then  Christ's     Jno.  1.26,33 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    Our  Saviour     Acts  1145,  J6 
also  testified  to  these  two  independent     Acts  J.4,5 
baptisms  but  to  no  other  baptism  as  the     Acts  iI46 
result  or  successor  of  these  two.  He 
speaks  of  one  as  past  and  of  the  other 
as  3'et  to  come. 

Many  3-ears  later,  Paul  said  there  was 
only  one  baptism  :  one  Lord,  one  faith,     Eph.  4.5 
one  baptism. 

One  of  these  two  baptisms  which  Christ 
and  all  the  evangelists  tell  us  about  must 
have  ended  before  Paul  wrote.  Which 
baptism  had  ended  ?    Which  remains  ? 
Can  any  Christian  doubt  which  baptism 
remains  to  us  ?    Christ's  death,  resur- 
rection, ascension  and  return  at  Pente- 
cost had  all  intervened  between  the  time 
when  John  told  the  Jews  of  two  baptisms 
and  the  time  when  Paul  claimed  there 
was  but  one.    During  this  time  Christ     Col.  2.14,23 
had  blotted  out  ordinances  and  nailed     Acts  J.4,5 
them  to  his  cross.    He  made  no  reserva-     Acts  2.1,33 
tion  of  water  baptism.    It  went  with     Acts  n.l6 
the  rest. 

Christian  baptism  came  in  fullness  : 
water  baptism  ended. 

Near  the  close  of  Peter's  ministrj^  he     j  Peter  3.2 J 


30     Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


said  :  The  baptism  which  now  saves  is 
not  the  putting  away  the  filth  of  the  flesh 
but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward 
God  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Putting  away  the  filth  of  the  flesh  evi- 
dently here  refers  to  Jewish  purification 
by  water  baptism.    Peter  says  this  is  not 
the  baptism  which  now  saves.    The  bap- 
J  Peter  32t  tism  which  now  saves  is  the  answer  of 

a  good  conscience  toward  God  by  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  answer  of  a  good  conscience  to- 
Acts  lAt5  ward  God  can  refer  to  no  other  baptism 

Acts  than  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  Jesus 

said  was  the  promise  of  the  Father  to 
follow  or  supersede  John's  water  baptism. 
Acts  10 A5  It  is  also  called  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

Acts  4.3J  and  being  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Eph.  5J8  And  again  it  is  called  the  earnest  of  the 

2  Cot.  i.22  Spirit.    This  is  the  baptism  which  Peter 

Acts  2.17,18  recognized  as  that  which  was  foretold  by 

Joel  2.28  the  prophet  Joel :  In  the  last  days  saith 

God  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh,  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy.  On  my  servants  and  on  my 
handmaidens  will  I  pour  out  of  my  Spirit 
and  they  shall  prophesy. 

These  are  the  Gospel  days  in  which  we 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian  31 


now  live.  This  is  the  one  baptism  or- 
dained to  remain. 

Churchmen  say  :  Burial  with  Christ  in 
baptism  (Rom.  6-2)  is  figurative,  a  mor- 
tification of  our  lusts  ;  not  a  literal  burial 
in  water. 

We  heartily  accept  this  church  teach- 
ing and  suggest  that  baptism  into  Christ 
and  crucifixion  with  Christ  are  no  more 
literal. 

We  see  no  more  water  about  baptism 
into  Christ  than  we  see  wood  in  the  cross 
upon  which  all  Christ's  children  must  be 
crucified. 

Church  catechism  teaches  that  ' '  bap- 
tism is  generally  necessary  to  salvation." 
As  an  apology  for  introducing  this  ex- 
trinsic word  ' '  generally  ' '  they  say  the 
thief  upon  the  cross  Avas  evidently  saved 
without  baptism. 

As  we  understand  this  is  all  contrary 
to  Scripture,  one  error  calls  for  another 
and  the  catechism  leads  astra}-.  There 
is  no  "  generally  "  about  Christ's  teach- 
ing. He  said  positively.  Ye  shall  be 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  he  also 
said.  Ye  must  be  born  again.  Without 
this  new  birth  and  baptism  we  see  no 
hope  of  salvation. 


Nelson  R.  Ross 
on  the 

Prayer  Book 
P.  J02 

Rom*  6.3 
Rom.  6.6 
Gal.  3.27 

Gal.  5.24 
Gal.  6.J4 


"What  is  Christ's 
Church  ? 
Hammond 
P.  Ml 
R  278 


Acts  1.5 
Acts  n.l6 
Jno.  3.3,7 


32     Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


Luke  23.39,43  The  thief  was  evidently  baptized  upon 

the  cross  with  this  saving  baptism  and 
was  born  again  without  water,  and  was 
thus  prepared  for  the  paradise  which 
Jesus  promised  him.  He  experienced 
repentance,  forgiveness  and  remission  of 
sin. 

Acts  843  Simon  the  Sorcerer  was  baptized  pre- 

Acts  8.23  sumably  with  water  ;  was  he  born  again  ? 

Acts  8.2J  We  are  told  that  he  remained  in  the  gall 

of  bitterness  and  bond  of  iniquity  and 
that  his  heart  was  not  right  in  the  sight 
of  God. 

Acts  8.13  Altho  apostles  baptized  Simon  with 

water  he  was  evidently  not  born  again. 
Altho  admittedly  not  baptized  with  water 
the  repentant  thief  was  born  again. 

Gal.  3.27  Paul  said,  as  many  as  have  been  bap- 

tized into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ. 

Had  Simon  put  on  Christ,  his  heart 
would  have  been  right  in  the  sight  of 
God,  not  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and 
bond  of  iniquity. 

According  to  Paul's  teaching,  Simon 
was  not  baptized  into  Christ  ;  but  the 
repentant  thief  was  baptized  into  Christ 
and  put  on  Christ. 

Acts  8.21,23  The  bond  of  iniquity  in  which  water 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian  33 


baptism  left  Simon  bound  is  a  poor 
recommendation  to  the  rite.  Has  it  im- 
proved since  that  earh'  da}',  or  is  the  gall 
of  bitterness  less  pungent,  or  has  the 
sight  of  God  become  dimmed  ? 

The  New  Testament  makes  no  connec- 
tion between  new  birth  and  water  bap- 
tism. 

Baptism,  not  of  water,  but  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  makes  the  heart  right.  By  resist- 
ing this  baptism  we  fail  to  be  baptized 
into  Christ.  By  ^delding  to  this  baptism  q^i^  3  2^  27 
we  become  our  Saviour's  new  born  child- 
ren, baptized  into  Christ  and  buried  with  Rom.  6.4 
him  in  baptism.  This  baptism  is  freely 
offered  to  ever}'  son  and  daughter  of 
Adam. 

Those  of  every  land  who  never  saw  the     Acts  2.16,21 
Scriptures  nor  ever  heard  of  Jesus  with     Acts  JO.34,35 
outward  ear  may  be  baptized  with  this     Joel  2.28,29 
saving  baptism  and  be  born  again  with- 
out instrumentality. 

There  are  diversities  of  operations,  but     j  Cor.  J2.6 
it  is  the  same  God.    Our  Saviour  left  us 
not  dependent  on  book,  man  or  water  for    Heb.  2.9 
salvation.    His  love  is  universal  and  un- 
bounded ;  he  tasted  death  for  every  man. 

This  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make    Heb.  8.J0,J3 


34     "Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


with  the  House  of  Israel  after  those  days, 
saith  the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  laws  in 
their  minds,  and  in  their  hearts  will  I 
write  them. 

Titus 2.n  Paul  says,  "The  grace  of  God  that 

bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared  to  all 
men."  This  does  not  imply  that  this 
grace  has  appeared  to  all  men  in  the  same 
way  and  fulness,  but  it  does  imply  that 
it  appears  to  every  conscience  with  suffi- 
cient fulness  to  bring  salvation  if  listened 
to  and  obeyed. 
Rev*  3.20  He  now  stands  at  ever>'   door  and 

knocks ;  if  we  open  the  door  he  will 
come  in  and  sup  with  us.    If  we  love 
Jno.  14.23  him  he  will  abide  with  us  ;  but  we  must 

heed  his  gentle  knocks,  his  still,  small 
voice,  and  open  the  door. 
What  is  Christ*s         Churchmen  say  :  The  visible  church, 
Church?  comprising  persons  good  and  bad,  saints 

Hammond  and  sinners,  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  or 

P.  3J,7I,&6  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  that  the 

door  of  entrance  is  water  baptism  duly 
administered. 

J  Cor.  6.9,  J  J  Paul  tells  the  Corinthians,  the  Gala- 

Gal.  5.21  tians  and  the  Ephesians,  each  in  nearly 

Eph,  5.5  the  same  language,  that  the  unrighteous 

Gal.  5.21  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God. 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


Of  fornication,  wrath,  strife,  drunken-     R«  v. 

ness,  revellings,  and   such   like,   Paul  Margin 

says  :  I  tell  you  plainly,  they  who  do 

such  things  shall  not  inherit  the  king-     GaL  5*22 

dom  of  God.    But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit     Rom.  14A7 

is  love,  jo}',  peace,  goodness,  temperance, 

etc.    Again,  he  saj^s  the  kingdom  of 

God  is  righteousness,  peace  and  joy  in 

the  H0I3'  Spirit. 

B}^  Paul's  whole  teaching  those  who 
34eld  the  fruit  of  the  spirit — love,  jo}', 
peace,  etc.,  are  the  inheritors  of  this 
heavenly  kingdom  and  the  unrighteous 
are  rejected. 

Again  Paul  sa^'s  :  Some  of  those  Cor-     j  Cor.  6.J0,U 
inthians   who   were   once   unrighteous    R.  v. 
were  washed,  sanctified  and  justified  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  in  the 
Spirit  of  our  God.    He  said  they  were 
not  inheritors  of  this  kingdom  while  they     I  Cor.  6.9 
were  unrighteous. 

Membership  in  the  visible  church  at     J  Cor.  6.  U 
Corinth   did   convey"   this  inheritance. 
They  had  to  be  washed,  sanctified,  and 
justified  (not  in  water,  but)  in  the  name 
or  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  in  the     j  Cor.  6.n 
spirit  of  our  God.     The}'  had  to  be     R.  v. 
washed  in  the  Spirit  of  our  God  before 
they  could  enter  His  kingdom. 


36     Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


Rom.  In  four  of  Paul's  epistles  he  recognizes 

J  G)r.  6»n  the  Spirit  at  the  door  of  entrance  to  this 

Eph.  5.9tJ8  kingdom.    He  mentions  it  seven  times 

Gal.  546t25  in  ten  verses  in  this  connection,  but  noth- 

ing whatever  about  water  baptism. 

Paul  knew  of  no  door  to  this  kingdom 
by  way  of  water  baptism  or  he  would 
have  told  us  of  it,  for  this  door  and  how 
we  ma}^  enter  is  just  what  Paul  was  em- 
phasizing. 

Our  lyord's  memorable  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  which  occupies  the  fifth,  sixth 
and  seventh  chapters  of  Matthew  is 
mostly  about  this  heavenly  kingdom,  the 
blessed  who  possess  it,  the  unrighteous 
who  cannot  enter  and  how  we  may  all 
attain  it,  but  not  one  word  about  water 
baptism. 

This  ancient  ordinance  was  far  away 
Mat  5.3,12  from  the  mind  of  our  Lord  amid  the  dim 

Mat.  5.20  and  receding  shadows  of  Judaism  when 

he  taught  that  multitude  on  the  Mount 
and  gave  his  kingdom  to  his  saints,  the 
poor  in  spirit,  the  pure  in  heart,  the 
meek  and  the  merciful,  and  encouraged 
us  all  to  seek  first  this  kingdom,  which 
Mat.  7.21,23  be  said  those  only  can  enter  who  do  the 
will  of  our  Father  in  Heaven.    The  king- 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian  37 


dom  of  God  is  mentioned  more  than  sixty 
times  and  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  twenty 
times  in  the  New  Testament  but  water 
baptism  is  never  once  named  nor  alluded 
to  in  any  of  those  eighty  texts. 

This  silence  impressively^  suggests  that 
water  baptism  is  entirely^  foreign  to  this 
kingdom  and  must  belong  to  another 
dispensation. 

Plainly  no  door  of  entrance  to  this 
kingdom  by  way  of  water  baptism  had 
been  discovered  at  the  time  the  New 
Testament  was  written.  Jesus  said  that  Jno.  104,7 
he  himself  was  the  door  to  this  sheep- 
fold  and  that  he  is  a  thief  and  a  robber 
who  climbs  up  some  other  way. 

We  read  that  John  baptized  with  water    lyj^^^  j 
but  Jesus  should  baptize  with  the  Holy    i^uke  3.16 
Spirit,  and  with  fire  ;  and  again  :  Except     j^q,  3^ 
a  man  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit, 
he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of  God  ;     Jno.  3.3 
and  again  :  Except  a  man  be  born  from  Margin 
above  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.     R.  v. 

This  birth  from  above  ;  this  birth  by     Jno.  3.3 
water  and  the  Spirit  ;  and  this  baptism    R.  v. 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  fire  are  all    Mat.  3.U 
three  plainly  one  and  the  same  divine     Luke  3.16 
operation  and  there  is  no  water  baptism 


38     "Water  Baptism  and  Christian 


either  mentioned  or  implied  :  Yet  man 
who  is  prone  to  substitute  the  letter 
which  killeth  for  the  spirit  which  giveth 
life,  long  ago  perv^erted  this  testimony  of 
Christ  to  Nicodemus  by  construing 
* '  born  ' '  to  mean  ' '  baptized  ' '  and  thus 
by  changing  one  Scripture  word  he 
would  close  the  kingdom  of  God  against 
his  fellow  man  who  would  not  come  to 
him  and  be  baptized  with  water. 
Sec  in  this  ^^"^t  we  trace  through  church  history 

Article  from  the  beginning  a  seed  or  remnant 

54,65  who  constantly  protested  against  such 

sacramentalism  and  by  legions  sealed 
their  testimonies  with  martyr's  blood. 

With  the  Bible,  which  was  long  for- 
bidden, now  open  to  all,  how  can  w^e  of 
this  enlightened  day  still  adhere  to  such 
idle  dogma  or  ever  quote  these  words  of 
Jno,  3.3t5  Christ  to  Nicodemus  as  authority  for 

any  water  baptism  ?  By  this  whole  con- 
text and  by  all  of  Christ's  relevant 
sayings  upon  the  Mount  and  elsewhere 
he  had  no  allusion  to  water  baptism. 
Had  he  meant  baptized  he  would  have 
said  baptized  and  not  born, 
jno.  3^  Just  as  Christ  said  :  We  must  surely 

Lukc3.J6  be  born  of  water  and  the  Spirit  and  we 


"Water  Baptism  and  Christian  39 


must  just  as  surely  be  baptized  with  the     Mat.  3.U 
Hol}^  Spirit  and  with  fire,  but  we  shall    Jno.  7.38,39 
no  more  be  born  of  material  water  than 
we  shall  be  baptized  with  material  fire. 

Neither  is  Christ's  fan  material  nor    Mat  3.10,12 
his  axe  at  the  root  of  the  tree,  nor  are    Luke  3.9,17 
the  waters  which  he  said  should  flow 
from  the  bodies  of  believers,  nor  the     Jno.  4.J0,I4 
waters  which  he  promised  should  be  in 
them  a  well  of  living  water  springing  up 
unto  everlasting  life ;   nor  the  living 
fountains  of  water,  w^here  God  shall  wipe     Rev.  7.J7 
away  all  tears  from  our  e^-es.    Neither    Zech.  13.9 
shall  we  be  tried  and  refined  literallj'  as    Malachi  3.2 
gold  and  silver  ;  nor  purged  literally  as 
a  fuller  purges  with  material  soap. 

These  fires,  fountains,  births,  bap- 
tisms, waters,  etc.,  are  all  spiritual. 
These  purifications  are  symbols  of  our 
spiritual  regeneration  and  preparation 
for  the  kingdom  of  God  which  the  un-  Mat.  7.2J 
righteous  shall  neither  inherit  nor  enter.     Gal.  5.21 

Like  those  Corinthians  we  must  be     I  Cor.  6.10,11 
washed,  sanctified  and  justified  in  the     R.  v. 
name  or  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and  in 
the  Spirit  of  our  God  ;  be  saved  by  the     Thus  3.5,6 
washing  of  regeneration  and  the  renew- 
ings  of  the  H0I3'  Spirit  shed  upon  us 


40  Baptismal  Grace 


abundantly  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour. 

We  must  be  circumcised  and  crucified 
as  well  as  washed  and  baptized. 
Rom.  6.6  We  must  be  crucified  upon  a  cross 

Mat.  J  6.24  which  we  may  often  carry  but  with  out- 

Gal.  2.20  ward  eyes  can  never  see.    We  must  be 

Philippians  3.3  circumcised  in  Christ  and  buried  with 
Col.  2.11,12  him  in  baptism.    We  must  be  baptized 

Gal.  3.27  into  Christ.    Put  on  Christ.    We  must 

Rom.  2.29  be  circumcised  of  heart  in  the  Spirit  by 

Col.  2.n  the  circumcision  of  Christ. 

Col.  2.  n,  17  As  instructed  by  Scripture  we  accept 

this  circumcision  without  hands,  and  this 
J  Cor.  6.n  baptism  and  washing  without  water,  and 

R.  V.  do  most  firmly  believe  that  our  Saviour 

never  commanded  nor  intended  any  other. 
BAPTISMAL  GRACE 
Some  maintain  that  water  baptism  is  a 
means  of  Grace.  Others  define  it  as  an 
outward  and  visible  sign  of  inward  and 
spiritual  Grace. 

We  have  no  record  that  our  Saviour 
ever  taught  any  such  doctrines. 

Grace  is  mentioned  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment more  than  one  hundred  times  but 
water  baptism  is  never  once  alluded  to  in 
connection  with  Grace  in  any  way  what- 
ever. 


Water  Baptism  and  Circumcision  41 

We  cannot  believe  that  our  Saviour  or- 
dained water  baptism  as  a  means  or  sign 
of  Grace  to  his  children  forever,  when 
neither  He  nor  his  disciples  ever  men- 
tioned it  or  even  remotely  alluded  to  it — 
so  far  as  Scripture  informs — in  all  of 
those  one  hundred  texts  wherein  Grace  is 
so  variously  and  impressively  commended 
to  us. 

We  are  forced  to  believe  that  this 
whole  theory  of  baptismal  grace  was  con- 
ceived by  man  ;  was  modified  by  the  re- 
formation and  now  might  be  entirely 
abandoned  as  adverse  to  the  teachings  of 
Christ  and  repugnant  to  sound  reason. 

WATER  BAPTISM  AND  CIRCUMCISION 

Some  assume  that  Christ,  by  his 
apostles  and  disciples,  instituted  water 
baptism  as  the  Christian  successor  of 
Jewish  circumcision.  Scripture  testi- 
mony conflicts  with  this  assumption. 
' '  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles' '  indicate 
that  these  apostles  were  mostly  tenacious 
of  Jewish  customs  and  only  gradually 
comprehended  the  universal  and  spiritual 
nature  of  Christ's  kingdom  in  its  noon- 
day brightness. 


42  Water  Baptism  and  Grcumcision 


Acts  J.6  They  looked  for  a  Jewish  kingdom 

Luke  24.2J  with  Christ  as  earthly  king,  and  of  course 

to  retain  in  some  way  their  existing  cus- 

Acts  llAtZ  toms.    They  called  all  who  were  not 

Ga.t2Alfl2  Jews,  uncircumcised  Gentiles.    But  few 

of  the  apostles  would  sit  at  table  with 
Gentiles  or  eat  in  their  houses. 

Acts  nJ46  Peter  required  a  vision  before  preach- 

Acts  J0.28  ing  the  Gospel  to  Gentiles,  and  gave  as 

his  reason  for  hesitation  that  it  was  un- 
lawful for  Jews  to  keep  company  or  come 
unto  those  of  another  nation. 

Acts  lUUS  Other  apostles  censured  Peter  for  mak- 

ing the  freedom  with  Gentiles  which  he 

Acts  J5,5t6  sometimes  did.  Some  insisted  that  Gentile 

converts  to  Christianity  be  circumcised. 

Acts  15 J  Some  taught :    Except  ye  be  circum- 

cised ye  cannot  be  saved. 

Acts  15,2  Gentile  converts  at  Antioch  resisted 

circumcision. 

Acts  15.2,6  Paul  pleaded  the  Gentile  cause  before 

the  elders  and  apostles  at  Jerusalem. 

Acts  15.6,20  After  much  questioning  Gentile  con- 

R,  V.  verts  to  Christianity  were  excused  from 

circumcision  but  no  others  were  excused. 

Ads  l5J2i  Jews  were  reminded  that  Moses  was 

preached  and  read  to  them  in  the  Jewish 
Synagogue  every  Sabbath  day. 


"Water  Baptism  and  Circumcision  43 


This  reminder  in  connection  with  the 
subject  before  them  indicates  that  Jewish 
Christians  were  expected  to  continue  as  Acts  15.21 
heretofore  to  circumcise  their  children 
according  to  the  law  of  Moses  which  was 
preached  and  read  to  them  in  the  Jewish 
Synagogue  every  Sabbath  day. 

These  elders  and  apostles  knew  noth- 
ing about  water  baptism,  being  the 
Christian  successor  of  Jewish  circum- 
cision or  they  would  surely  have  in-  Acts  J5,23,29 
structed  the  Gentiles  to  this  effect  w^hen 
they  excused  them  from  circumcision. 
Their  silence  upon  this  opportune  oc- 
casion and  at  all  other  times  is  decided 
evidence  that  there  was  no  such  suc- 
cession. 

Eight  3-ears  later,  the  same  old  con-     Acts  2J.2),24 
troversy  about  circumcision  brought  Paul 
again  before  the  elders  and  apostles  at 
Jerusalem. 

They  re-affirmed  their  former  decision 
that  Gentiles  be  excused  from  circum- 
cision but  reminded  Paul  that  he  (a  Jew)  Acts  2J«2I,25 
was  expected  to  walk  orderly  and  keep 
the  law  of  Moses.  They  prevailed  upon  Acts  2U2U26 
him  to  take  a  vow,  shave  his  head,  and 
enter  into  the  Jewish  temple  until  an 


44  "Watef  Baptism  and  Circumcision 


offering  should  be  offered  for  him,  be- 
cause he  taught  Jews  of  the  dispersion, 
that  they  should  not  circumcise  their 
children  nor  walk  after  the  customs  of 
Moses.  Paul  was  induced  to  suppress  or 
conceal  his  indifference  to  circumcision. 

Thus  closes  our  last  recorded  meeting 
of  the  elders  and  apostles  at  Jerusalem 
with  no  apparent  abatement  of  zeal  for 
circumcision.  To  the  last  they  evinced 
much  more  zeal  for  circumcision  than 
they  had  ever  shown  for  water  baptism  ; 
and  they  never  in  any  way  recognized 
water  baptism  as  the  successor  of  cir- 
cumcision. 

Acts  2J.2Jt26  Plainly  it  was  not  by  the  apostles  but 

after  the  apostles'  time  that  circumcision 
was  discarded  and  water  baptism  exalted. 
Acts  J5.6,2J  Altho  Paul  ostensibly  yielded  to  the 

Acts  2U2U26        elders  and  apostles  at  Jerusalem  yet  his 
subsequent  epistles  indicate  that  he  re- 
Col*  2J0,23  mained  firmly  indifferent  or  opposed  to 

Gal6.I2tJ6  circumcision  and  other  Jewish  customs 

Gal  4.4, U  and  ordinances:    He  called  them  weak 

and  beggarly  elements. 

Paul  was  also  indifferent  or  opposed  to 
I  Cor.  lM,i7        water  baptism  as  then  practiced.  He 
claimed  no  authority  for  it  from  Christ 


"Water  Baptism  after  Christ  45 


and  thanked  God  that  he  had  baptized 
so  few. 

Paul  said  he  was  made  all  things  to  all    I  Cor,  9^0,21 
men,  that  he  might  by  all  means  save 
some. 

To  the  Jews  he  became  a  Jew,  to  the 
Gentiles  a  Gentile. 

WATER  BAPTISM  AFTER  CHRIST  IN 
APOSTOLIC  TIMES 

Dean  Stanley  says  :    "It  has  been  the  '^Christian 
misfortune  of  churches  that  they  have  Institutions" 
imagined  a  primitive  condition  which  2O8 
never  existed.    The  reluctance  to  look 
the  facts  of  historj^  in  the  face  has  favored 
the  growth  of  a  vast  superstructure  of 
fable." 

Let  us  avoid  this  ' '  misfortune  of  the 
churches,"  this  "  vast  superstructure  of 
fable,"  and  be  willing  to  look  the  facts  of 
Scripture  and  history  squarely  in  the  face. 

It   appears  by   Scripture   that    our    jno,  4.2 
Saviour  did  not  baptize  with  water  nor 
command  others  to  do  so,  and  that  none 
of  his  apostles  were  so  baptized  in  his 
time. 

After  Christ,  Ananias  directed  Paul    Acts  22J6 
to  be  baptized. 


46      Water  Baptism  after  Christ 


Acts  22J2  We  read  that  Ananias  was  devout  ac- 

Acts  2J.j8t26         cording  to  the  law  of  Moses,  as  were  also 

many  of  the  apostles. 
Acts  J. 6  They  looked  for  Christ  to  restore  again 

the  kingdom  to  Israel. 

With  such  hopeful  prospects  for  Juda- 
ism we  cannot  wonder  that  Ananias  and 
many  apostles  devoutly  believed  it  to  be 
Acts  2J.  J8,27         in  order  and  necessary  that  water  baptism, 
circumcision,  &c.,  be  continued  and  that 
Paul  and  other  converts  be  so  baptized. 
That  they  should  so  believe  is  no  more 
Acts  J5.28,29         remarkable  than  that  upon  two  occasions 
Acts  2  J ,25  eight  years  apart  they  should  pronounce 

it  necessary  that  Gentile  believers  ab- 
stain from  meat  offered  to  idols  and  from 
things  strangled  and  from  blood  as  Jews 
did. 

Acts  22.2 J  Paul  was  sent  a  special  apostle  to  the 

GaU  2.7,9  Gentiles.    Peter  and  others  more  to  the 

Acts  J3.47  Jews.    To  Paul  therefore  we  turn  for 

light  upon  the  duty  of  Gentiles. 
i  G)r.  JO.25,29  Paul  taught  Gentile  believers :  Unless 

3^e  be  told  that  meat  is  offered  to  idols, 
eat  whatever  is  set  before  you  or  is  sold 
in  the  shambles,  asking  no  questions  for 
conscience  sake.  Let  no  man  judge  you 
CoI,2.J6,J8  ill  meat  or  in  drink,  or  in  regard  to  an 


Water  Baptism  after  Christ  47 


hol}^  dsiv,  or  the  new  moon,  or  the  sab- 
bath days  which  are  shadows  of  things 
to  come. 

Without  claiming  perfection  for  Paul, 
should  we  not  all  as  believing  Gentiles 
accept  his  teaching  about  meat,  eating, 
water,  baptism,  etc.,  that  Christ  did  not  j  CorJ,J7 
send  his  apostles  to  baptize  with  water, 
but  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  that  the 
Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salva-  Rom.  1. 1 6 
tion  to  all  who  believe. 

After  Pentecost,  believers  were  bap-     Acts  2.38,41 
tized  presumably  with  water.    They  sold    Acts  4.33,37 
their  possessions  and  gave  to  apostles  and     Acts  2.44,46 
had  all  things  in  common  and  continued 
daily  in  the  Jewish  temple,  and  in  break- 
ing bread  from  house  to  house. 

Shall  we  sell  our  lands,  live  in  com- 
mon, frequent  Jewish  temples  and  break 
bread  daily  from  house  to  house?  We 
see  as  much  authority  for  doing  so  as  for 
baptizing  with  water. 

If  the  example  of  apostles  and  be- 
lievers is  Scripture  authority  for  water 
baptism,  it  is  also  Scripture  authority  to 
sell  our  lands,  live  in  common,  frequent 
Jewish  temples,  etc. 

We  cannot  believe  that  we  are  required 


48       Water  Baptism  after  Christ 


by  Scripture  or  otheru4se  to  do  all  things 
which  the  apostles  and  believers  did, 
however  good  and  proper  it  may  have 
been  for  them  at  that  time.  Much  less 
should  we  gratify  our  own  predilections 
by  electing  to  follow  their  example  in 
w^ater  baptism  and  to  reject  it  in  other 
particulars. 

Acts  J0,44  By  Peter's  preaching  the  household  of 

Acts  UJ5  Cornelius  was  baptized  with  the  Holy 

Acts  J0.47  Spirit.    Peter  then   asked   his  Jewish 

brethren  if  any  could  forbid  water  that 
these  Gentiles  should  not  be  baptized  as 
well  as  we  Jews.  Peter  hesitated  about 
baptizing  Gentiles  as  Jews  baptized,  yet 
he  commanded  it  to  be  done. 
Acts  J0,42,44  Peter  claimed  authority  from  Christ 

Acts  JIJ5rJ6  for  the  Holy  Spirit  baptism,  but  no  au- 
Acts  JO.47  thority  for  the  water  baptism  only  the 

silence  of  the  six  Jewish  brethren  who 
were  with  him  from  Jerusalem. 
Acts  J52S,29  Upon  another  occasion  Peter,  with 

others,  pronounced  it  necessary  that 
Gentile  believers  abstain  from  certain 
meats  as  Jews  did. 

We  recognize  no  distinction  in  Peter's 
authority,  whether  he  restrained  Gentile 
believers  from  the  use  of  certain  meats 


"Water  Baptism  after  Christ  49 


or  had  them  baptized  with  water.    In     Acts  8^7,39 
both  cases  Peter's  Jewish  education  was     R.  v. 
his  impulse  and  not  Christ. 

As  the  Eunuch  rode  in  his  chariot 
he  read  from  Esaias  the  prophet.  Phihp 
went  up  into  the  chariot  and  preached 
unto  him  Jesus.  The  Eunuch  was  bap- 
tized by  the  wayside.  The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  caught  away  Philip.  The  Eunuch 
went  on  his  wa}'  rejoicing. 

This  appears  to  have  been  John's  de- 
creasing water  baptism  without  formula, 
but  nevertheless  to  have  been  blessed  to 
the  Eunuch's  dawning  condition  of  be- 
lief. Had  the  Eunuch  been  reading 
Christ's  Sermon  on  the  Mount  with  the 
veil  which  was  rent  on  Calvary  clear 
lifted  from  his  e3'es,  he  might  not  have 
stopped  that  chariot  to  baptize  with 
water.  But  he  did  not  so  read.  The 
New  Testament  was  not  written  at  that 
time.  He  read  from  the  Old  Testament, 
from  Esaias  the  prophet. 

Many  yesLis  after  Paul  said,  until  that    2  Cor.  3J5 
day  the  veil  remained  upon  the  hearts  of 
some  when  the  Old  Testament  was  read. 

Divine  condescension  to  the  dawming 
belief  of  this  Jewish  proselj^te  in  those 


50       "Water  Baptism  after  Christ 


transition  times  established  no  precedent 
which  should  induce  us  to  linger  in  the 
border  land  of  Judaism. 

We  hear  some  wonder  wh}^  many  apos- 
tles and  believers  adhered  so  tenaciously 
Acts  J5.20  to  circumcision,  abstinence  from  certain 

Acts2KJ8,27         meats,  etc. 

Future  generations  may  still  more 
wonder  why  man}^  believers  in  our  day 
hold  so  persistently  to  water  baptism,  etc. 

The  day  is  surely  dawning,  the  ranks 
are  filling  with  those  who  realize  that 
these  shadows  are  all  foreign  to  the  Chris- 
tian dispensation. 

There  is  less  excuse  for  now  baptizing 
with  water  than  there  was  for  those  Jew- 
ish believers  continuing  to  observ-e  the 
Exodus  20.18  law  of  Moses  generalh^  The  law  was 
given  to  Moses  amid  the  thunders  of 
Sinai.  When  Israel  obeyed  that  law 
they  triumphed  over  their  enemies. 
When  they  disobeyed  they  fell  before 
them. 

How  could  they  abandon  that  time- 
honored  law  of  Moses  and  their  fathers 
and  at  once  embrace  Christianitj^  in  its 
fulness  ? 

Jno.  3.30  John  the  Baptist  foretold  that  this 


Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  5 1 


transition  would  be  gradual  when  he 
said,  "  He  must  increase,  but  I  must 
decrease. ' ' 

Our  Saviour  was  ver}'  tender  of  his 
disciples  in  their  transition  state  and  is 
3'etequall3-  mindful  of  his  sincere  children 
who  are  still  in  the  same  condition.  He  Jno.  J6.J2 
said,  I  have  yet  man}'  things  to  sa^-  unto 
you  but  3'ou  cannot  bear  them  now. 
Some  things  which  he  did  sa\'  few  can 
bear  even  yet  ;  still,  we  long  to  know 
what  were  those  suppressed  and  holy 
things  which  he  did  not  say  because  his 
disciples  could  not  bear  them. 

B}'  the  teaching  of  the  Comforter,  which     jno,  J 4.23,26 
is  the  Hoh'  Spirit,  we  have  access  ever- 
more to  this  sacred  knowledge.    But  only     Jno.  16.12 
as  we  are  able  to  bear  it  will  he  teach  us 
all  things.    Not  to  the  wise  and  prudent     Mat  n.25 
of  this  world,  but  to  babes  in  Christ. 

WATER  BAPTISM  AFTER  THE 
APOSTLES'  TIME 

By  collateral  evidence  we  are  led  to 
suppose  that  several  of  the  apostles  were 
martyred  under  the  Roman  Emperor, 
Nero,  about  A.  D.  64. 

The  Jews  rebelled  against  the  Romans, 


52  "Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 


Josephus 
Vol.  3,  P.  324 
Vol.  4,  P.  99 

Eosebius 
P.  75 

Gibbon's  Rome 
Vol.  U  P.  399 

Josephtis 
Vol  4,  P.  337 

Chfistian 
Institutions 
P.  202 


A.  D.  66.  At  the  approach  of  war 
Christians  of  Jerusalem  and  Judea  re- 
moved to  Pella,  beyond  the  Jordan.  Eu- 
sebius  says  they  fled  in  obedience  to  a 
Divine  revelation.  These  were  all  Jews, 
and  in  their  new  homes  were  called  Naz- 
arines  or  Ebonites. 

Jerusalem  and  the  temple  w^ere  utterly 
destroyed  and  the  Jews  massacred  by  the 
Romans,  A.  D.  70. 

Dean  Stanle}^  says  :  "The  fall  of  Jeru- 
salem was  the  fall  of  the  Jewish  world  ; 
it  was  a  reason  for  the  close  of  the  apos- 
tolic age  ;  a  death-blow  of  the  influence 
of  Jewish  nationality  for  a  long  time  to 
come. 

After  the  destruction  of  Jewish  Jeru- 
salem, Gentile  Antioch  appears  to  have 
become  the  seat  of  church  authority. 

John  was  probably  the  only  apostle 
then  living  and  he,  it  is  thought,  was  in 
a  distant  country. 

At  Antioch  and  other  places  Gentile 
Christians  evidentl}^  soon  gained  the  as- 
cendency and  discouraged  even  Jews 
from  circumcision  and  other  offensive 
Jewish  customs,  w^hile  water  baptism 
and  those  not  repulsive  to  Gentiles  were 


"Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  53 


generally  continued  and  in  time  modified 
to  suite  taste  and  convenience. 

The  earh-  Christians  were  not  united 
in  making  these  changes  ;  they  caused 
continued  discord  and  division  among 
them  as  is  manifest  throughout  the 
writings  of  the  Ante-Xicene  Fathers  and 
Eusebius. 

The  Xazarenes,  EbonitL-s  and  some 
others  adhered  to  circumcision  and  the 
customs  of  Moses  as  the  elders  at  Jeru- 
salem had  insisted  that  Paul  should  do 
and  as  in  the  * '  Hermit  Church  ' '  of 
Ab3'ssinia  they  still  continue  to  do. 

We  find  these  Xazarenes  and  Ebonites 
soon  classified  as  heretics  after  the  Gen- 
tile Christians  preponderated. 

Water  baptism  seems  not  to  have  been 
insisted  upon  at  first  but  in  the  second 
centur\'  greater  importance  appears  to 
have  been  attached  to  it.  Man}',  how- 
ever, claimed  that  onh-  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  purity  of  the  heart  were 
necessar}'  because  none  of  the  apostles 
but  Paul  were  baptized  with  water,  and 
Christ  said  :  ' '  John  indeed  baptized  with 
water  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the 
Hol}^  Spirit  ;  "  and  again,  "  Blessed  are 


Acts  2l2h2i 

Cyclopedia 
American  and 
Britannica 


Ante-Nicene 
Fathers 
VoL  I,  P,  209 
VoL  5,  P.  667 
Vol.  5,  P.  678 


Vol.  6,  P.  2J7 


54  Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 

the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God. ' ' 

Justin  Martj^r  said  :  "What  is  the  use 
of  that  baptism  which  cleanses  the  flesh 
and  the  body  alone.  Baptize  the  soul 
from  wrath,  envy,  &c.,  and  lo!  the  whole 
body  is  clean.  "  And  again:  "What 
need  have  I  of  that  other  baptism  w^ho 
have  been  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit. ' ' 

While  many  such  expressions  occur 
in  the  writings  of  the  "Fathers,"  there 
are  many  more  which  support  sacramen- 
talism.    Their  testimonies  are  conflicting. 

About  the  beginning  of  the  third  cen- 
tury w^e  find  water  baptism  first  called 
a  sacrament  by  Tertullian  and  about  the 
same  time  he  complains  that  many  tried 
to  destroy  it.  Plainly,  as  water  baptism 
was  exalted,  opposition  increased. 

A  sect  called  Ascoondrutes  rejected 
all  symbols  and  sacraments  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  incorporeal  things  cannot  be 
communicated  by  things  corporeal  nor 
divine  mysteries  by  things  visible. 

Schaff  says  :  Many  Jews  and  Gentiles 
were  baptized  only  with  water  ;  not  with 
Holy  Spirit  and  fire  of  the  Gospel,  and 
smuggled  their  old  religious  notions  and 
practices  into  the  church. 


Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  55 


The   Roman   Emperor,  Constantine,  Cyclopedia 
professedly  became  a  Christian,  while  he    American  and 
virtually  remained  a  heathen  ;  A.  D.  312.  Britannica 

Christians  were  few  in  number  before 
Constantine,  but  now  pagans  flocked  to 
the  church  and  sat  in  its  councils. 

'  *  Constantine  married  the  Christian 
church  to  the  heathen  world. ' '  He  virtu- 
ally united  church  and  state.  He  con- 
vened the  council  of  Nice  and  they 
formed  a  creed  A.  D.  325. 

Many  protested  against  this  council 
and  its  decisions  but  the  mass  supported 
the  Emperor  and  the  creed. 

Among  obscure  dissenters  whom  the 
ruling  church  called  heretics  ma}'  we 
expect  thereafter  to  find  the  nearest 
approach  to  Christianity  as  Jesus  taught 
it  upon  the  Mount  and  elsewhere. 

Mosheim  says  :  No  sooner  had  Con- 
stantine abolished  the  superstition  of 
his  pagan  ancestors  than  magnificent 
churches  were  erected  for  the  Christians, 
which  were  richly  adorned  with  pictures 
and  images  and  bore  stricking  resem- 
blances to  the  Pagan  temples  both  within 
and  without. 

The  simplicity  of   the   Gospel   was    Vol.  J,  P.  38J 


Ecclesiastical 

History 

VoU  If  P.  383 


56  Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 

clouded  by  the  prodigious  number  of 
rites  and  ceremonies  which  the  bishops 
invented  to  embellish  it. 

They  imagined  the  Pagans  would 
receive  Christianity  with  more  facility 
when  they  saw  the  rites  and  ceremonies 
to  which  they  were  accustomed  adopted 
in  the  church.  So  the  religion  of  the 
Christians  was  made  to  conform  very 
nearly  to  that  of  the  Pagans  in  external 
appearance. 

The  vice  and  insolent  tyranny  of  many 
of  the  priesthood  soon  became  notorious. 

Neander  says  :  Such  individuals  of  the 
laity  as  were  distinguished  by  their  piety 
from  the  great  mass  of  nominal  Chris- 
tians and  from  the  worldly  minded  of 
the  clergy  often  suffered  persecution  from 
the  latter. 

The  name  of  Audius  stands  prominent 
among  the  many  dissenters  who  protested 
against  the  corruptions  of  the  ruling 
church  at  this  time. 

Isolated  companies  of  devout  Chris- 
tians under  various  names  rejected  the 
Sacraments.  They  were  called  Lampe- 
tians,  Adelphians,  Estatians,  Marcionites, 
Euchites,  Massalians  and  Enthusiasts. 


Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  57 


Mosheim  says  :  Enthusiasts  who  dis- 
carded the  Sacraments  and  were  rather 
wrong  headed  than  vicious  Hved  among 
the  Greeks  and  Assyrians  for  many  ages. 
They  were  known  b}^  the  general  and 
invidious  name  of  Massalians  or  Euc- 
hites.  A  foot-note  says  :  This  sect  arose 
under  the  Emperor  Constantius  about 
the  year  361. 

We  have  numerous  accounts  of  Chris- 
tians who  were  prominent  in  the  domi- 
nant church  of  the  fourth  century  who 
deferred  water  baptism  to  middle  life  or 
old  age  and  many  were  never  so  baptized 
altho  born  of  Christian  parents. 

About  A.  D.  660  another  Constantine 
came  for^^ard  as  a  reform  preacher  under 
inspiration  said  to  have  been  received  in 
reading  the  New  Testament,  particularlj- 
the  writings  of  St.  Paul. 

His  followers  were  sometimes  called 
Macedonians  but  were  generally  known 
as  Paulicians  altho  they  preferred  to  be 
called  Christians. 

It  appears  that  these  Paulicians  existed 
centuries  before  under  other  names  given 
them  by  their  enemies  and  that  the 
drooping  sect  was  revived  b}^  the  power- 
ful preaching  of  Constantine. 


Mosheim 
Vol.  3,  P.  J04 
Vol.  3,  P.  JOS 


Vol.  3t  P.  105 
Vol.  J,  P.  4J9 

Vol.  h  P.  3J4 

Cyclopedia 
under 

Constantine 
Ambrose 
Chrysostom 
Jerome,  etc. 

Cyclopedia 
American  and 
Britannica 
Mosheim 
Vol.  2,  P.  J8J 


58  "Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 


Ncander  Neander  says  the  Paulicians  wholly 

VoI,3,  P.  263  rejected  the  outward  observance  of  the 
Sacraments  and  maintained  that  by  mul- 
tiplication of  external  rites  and  cere- 
monies in  the  dominant  church  the  true 
life  of  religion  had  declined.  That  it 
was  not  Christ's  intention  to  institute 
water  baptism  as  a  perpetual  ordinance 
and  that  by  baptism  he  meant  only  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  that  he  com- 
municates himself  by  the  living  waters 
for  the  thorough  cleansing  of  the  whole 
human  nature  ;  that  eating  the  flesh  and 
drinking  the  blood  of  Christ  consists  in 
coming  into  vital  union  with  him. 
Cyclopedia  In   the   ninth  century  one  hundred 

American  and  thousand  Paulicians  were  martyred  at 
Bfitannica  once  in  Armenia,  accused  of  heresy  and 

denying  the  Sacraments. 
Mosheim  For  the  same  offence  untold  numbers 

Vol.  2t  P.  355  were  put  to  death  during  previous  and 
Neander  subsequent  centuries  and  in  widely  dis- 

Vol.  3,  P.  578        tant  countries. 

Their  enemies  represent  that  these 
Paulicians  were  loving,  spiritual  and 
peaceful,  and  diligent  in  reading  and 
circulating  the  Scriptures,  but  they  were 
heretics  and  not  worthy  to  live. 


Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  59 


Were  not  these  dissenting  martyrs  a 
remnant  or  seed  of  the  living  church  and 
their  baptized  enemies  the  real  heretics  ? 

The  history  of  these  inhuman  perse- 
cutions reveals  a  sad  condition  of  the 
dominant  church  and  its  ruling  clerg}^ 
of  the  ninth  centur>'. 

Some  Ecclesiastics  who  presided  over  Mosheim 
a  flourishing  theological  institution  at     Vol.  2t  P.  565 
Orleans,  claimed  to  have  been  awakened  Neander 
by  the  writings  of  St.  Augustine  and  St.     Vol.  3»  P.  593 
Paul,  particularly  the  latter.    Many  of 
the  nobility  and  others  of  eminent  piety 
and  benevolence  became  their  adherents. 

They  rejected  external  worship,  rites 
and  ceremonies  and  placed  religion  in 
the  internal  contemplation  of  God  and 
the  elevation  of  the  soul. 

They  rejected  water  baptism  and  held 
to  a  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  also  to  a 
Spiritual  Eucharist  by  which  all  who  had 
received  spiritual  baptism  would  be  re- 
freshed and  find  their  spiritual  needs 
completel}^  satisfied. 

Thirteen  leaders  of  this  sect  were 
burned  A.  D.  1022.  When  urged  to 
recant  they  replied,  We  have  a  higher 
law,  one  written  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
the  inner  man." 


6o  Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 


Mosheim  says  they  soared  above  the 
comprehension  of  the  age  in  which  they 
lived. 

Mosheim  A  few  years  later  a  similar  sect  was 

VoL  2t  P.  567  discovered  in  the  districts  of  Arras  and 
Neander  Liege.     They  held  individual  holiness 

Vol,  3,  P.  597  and  practical  piety  to  be  necessary  and 
that  outward  baptism  and  outward  Sac- 
rament were  nothing.  This  they  af- 
firmed was  the  doctrine  of  Christ  and 
his  apostles. 

Neander  About  A.  D.  1046  a  sect  was  sup- 

Vol.  3,  P.  600  pressed  at  Turin  which  was  favored  by 
the  nobility  and  widely  diffused  among 
the  clergy  and  laity.  They  claimed  to 
have  one  priest  without  the  tonsure. 
He  daily  visited  their  brethren  scattered 
throughout  the  world  and  when  God 
bestowed  him  on  them  they  received 
from  him  with  great  devotion  forgiveness 
of  sin.  They  acknowledged  no  other 
priest  and  no  other  sacrament  but  his 
absolution. 

Who — we  ask — is  this  priest  without 
the  tonsure,  who  daily  visits  the  world- 
wide brethren  ? 
Heb.  7J6  Is  it  not  Jesus  who  was  made  a  priest, 

"  not  after  the  law  of  a  carnal  command- 


"Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  6i 


ment,  but  after  the  power  of  an  endless 
life?" 

A  sect  called  Bogomiles,  who  rejected  Neander 
outward  baptism  and  acknowledged  only  Vol.  4,  P.  556 
spiritual  communion,  was  discovered  in 
Constantinople,  many  of  them  in  the 
families  connected  with  the  court.  Their 
leader  w^as  burned  A.  D.  1119,  others 
were  imprisoned,  yet  they  spread  secretly 
over  the  Greek  empire. 

Mosheim  sa3'S  :  The  Eastern  churches  Mosheim 
continued  to  be  infested  with  such  fana-     VoU  3,  P.  104 
tics  in  the   twelfth   century,   and  the     Vol.  3,  P.  107 
Latin  sects  w^ere  still  more  numerous    VoL  J,  P.  10& 
than  the  Greeks. 

The  Catherists  were  a  numerous  fac- 
tion in  Bulgaria  and  spread  almost  all 
over  Europe  under  various  names  who 
all  agreed  in  rejecting  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

'*  Brethren  and  sisters  of  the  free  Mosheim 
Spirit"  took  their  denomination  from  Vol.  3,  P.  270 
the  words  of  St.  Paul  (Rom.  8,  2-14).  Vol  3,  P.  276 
They  w^ere  called  Beghards,  Beguines,  Vol.  3,  P.  365 
Turpines,  etc.  They  rejected  baptism  Vol.  3,  P.  449 
and  the  Supper  as  no  longer  useful  to  Vol.  3,  P.  455 
them  and  held  to  inward  and  spiritual 
worship.    They  spread  rapidly  in  Italy, 


62  Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 


France  and  Germany.  They  were  mostly 
poor  people  and  lived  upon  alms  while 
upon  their  missionary  journeys.  Great 
numbers  of  plain,  pious  people,  rich  and 
poor,  embraced  their  teaching  and  for- 
sook the  dominant  church. 

The  Inquisition  checked  their  career 
with  its  usual  record  of  cruelty  and 
blood,  yet  the}^  continued  to  feed  the  fires 
of  persecution  for  more  than  two  centu- 
ries, until  near  the  time  of  the  reforma- 
tion. 

Neandcf  In  the  south  of  France  dissenters  called 

VoL  4,  P.  642  Albigenses  became  more  numerous  than 
Cyclopedia  the  dominant  church.    They  were  con- 

Amcrfcan  and  demned  by  four  councils,  but  still  contin- 
Britannica  ued  to  increase  until  about  A.  D.  12 15, 

when  they  were  exterminated  by  a  long 
and  horrible  war  and  the  Inquisition. 

These  Albigenses  were  distinguished 
generally  by  their  strict  and  blameless 
lives,  by  their  abhorrence  of  oaths,  war 
and  punishment  by  death,  and  for  their 
hospitality  and  beneficence.  They  ac- 
cepted baptism  spiritually  and  rejected 
the  sacraments. 

Can  we  believe  that  the  church  which 
led  to  the  extermination  of  these  Al- 


"Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles  63 

bigenses,  the  PauHcians,  and  many 
others,  was  ever  estabHshed  b}^  that  lov- 
ing Saviour  who  spent  his  life  in  doing 
good  to  the  souls  and  bodies  of  men  ? 

Does  it  not  answer  more  nearly  the  Rev.  J7^,6 
description  given  of  M^^stery  Babylon 
who  was  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints  and  martyrs  of  Jesus  ?  Who  would 
not  gladly  forget  a  succession  which 
claims  to  run  back  through  such  a  church 
as  this  ? 

In  some  parts  of  France  dissenters 
similar  to  the  Albigenses  were  called  Bul- 
garians, in  Italy  they  were  called  Paterens 
and  in  Germany  were  called  Catharists, 
and  in  derision  were  called  ' '  Good  Men. ' ' 
How  is  it  that  these  dissenters,  by  the 
testimonies  of  their  enemies,  appear  to 
have  lived  better  and  holier  Hves  without 
the  sacraments  than  their  persecutors  did 
with  them  ? 

What  is  the  testimony  of  obser\'ation  j^^^  5.3,12 
in  our  day  ?  Are  those  beatitudes  which 
Jesus  pronounced  in  his  sermon  on  the 
Mount  better  observed  by  those  who  have 
seven  sacraments  than  they  are  by  Pro- 
testants who  have  only  two  ?  And,  are 
they  better  obser^-ed  under  two  sacra- 


64  Water  Baptism  after  the  Apostles 

ments  than  they  are  b}^  the  Quakers,  and 
some  other  Christians  who  have  none? 
If  this  is  the  case,  it  is  strong  support  to 
the  belief  that  Christ  ordained  the  sacra- 
ments. But  if  the  reverse  is  found  to  be 
the  existing  condition,  then  a  suspicion 
may  arise  that  these  sacraments  are  not 
divine,  but  are  human  impositions  and 
that  they  divert  from  the  Divine.  There- 
fore, may  it  be  that  some  of  our  best 
Christians  get  along  quite  as  well  or  bet- 
ter without  them. 

Neither  the  word  sacrament  nor  any 
synonym  thereof  occurs  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, nor  in  the  writings  of  the  * '  Fath- 
ers," until  the  third  century.  There 
were  no  sacraments  then  as  there  are  now, 
therefore  no  necessity  for  such  a  name. 

Sacrament  was  a  Pagan  name  for  a 
military  oath  and  was  ruled  into  its 
present  position  by  apostate  Christians. 

The  apostles  and  first  Christians  evi- 
dently continued  to  eat  the  Passover 
Supper,  because  their  fathers  had  done 
so  for  ages  in  memory  of  Israel  passing 
over  the  Red  Sea  out  of  Egypt,  and  not 
from  any  command  of  Christ.  Otherwise 
they  would  with  still  more  persistence 


Conclusion 


65 


have  continued  to  wash  each  other's  feet, 

which  Jesus  commanded  with  language 

and  actions  far  more  solemn,  impressive     Jno.  13.12,17 

and  imperative. 

The  Ante-Nicene  Fathers  and  Eusebius 
inform  us  that  water  baptism  was  a  pro- 
lific cause  of  bitter  discord  and  division 
among  the  early  Christians.  It  still  sor- 
rowfull}'  distracts  the  loving  children  of 
our  one  Father  and  impedes  the  spread 
of  his  kingdom  in  the  earth. 

These  lamentable  conditions  must  in- 
evitably continue  until  such  shadows  are 
dissolved  by  divine  brightness  in  that 
day  which  we  rejoice  to  believe  is  now 
dawning. 

CONCXUSION 
That  water  baptism,  circumcision  and 
man}^  other  ceremonies  were  ordained 
of  God  for  Israel  is  evident  from  Scrip- 
ture.   That  these  ordinances  were  ful-     Heb.  9.10 
filled  in  Christ  is  to  us  likewise  evident.     CoU  2.14 
He  took  them  out  of  the  waj'  and  nailed     Acts  J5.I,2I 
them  to  his  cross  ;  still  they  were  per-     Acts  21.18,26 
mitted  for  a  time  unto  Israel  and  we  do     j  Cor,  J. 14,17 
not  presume  to  deny  their  permission  to    2  Peter  3.8 
some  even  until  now,  for  ''a  thousand 
3'ears  with  the  Lord  is  as  but  one  day. ' ' 


66 


Conclusion 


As  children  of  the  light,  we  ever  re- 
spect and  regard  every  manifestation  of 
that  light  to  mankind  in  all  ages  of  the 
world,  whether  to  Jew  or  Gentile  or  to 
people  unknown. 

We  realize  that  there  has  been  an 
increased  revelation  of  this  divine  light, 

Jno.  J6.J2,I3  and  believe,  as  our  Saviour  taught,  that 
it  will  continue  to  increase  as  we  are 
able  to  bear  it,  and  in  proportion  to  this 
increase  will  symbols  and  sacraments 
pass  away. 

How  can  we  doubt  that  our  Saviour, 
with  his  last  words  here  upon  earth,  had 

Luke  24.47,49  in  view  his  own  glorious  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  when  he  commanded  his 
apostles  to  preach  among  all  nations 
repentance  and  remission  of  sin,  in  his 
name  with  power  from  on  high  ? 

This  power  from  on  high  was  the 

Acts  1,5  baptism  of  the  Hol}^  Spirit  which  he 

Acts  U.J6  promised  his  apostles  and  disciples  when 

he  said,  ''John  indeed  baptized  with 
water,  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Spirit." 

They  had  to  be  baptized  with  this 
baptism  themselves  before  they  could  go 

Luke  24.47,49        teach  all  nations  baptizing  them.  Power 


GDncIosion 


67 


from  ou  high  was  the  one  requisite  to 
administer  this  baptism.  They  had  bap- 
tized with  water  before  this  power  was  Jno*  4.2 
fully  given  at  Pentecost  and  continued 
to  baptize  in  the  same  way  after  Pente- 
cost but  this  power  is  never  mentioned 
in  connection  with  water  baptism.  It 
is,  however,  frequent!}^  mentioned  in 
connection  with  preaching  the  Gospel. 

These  same  conditions  have  continued 
until  now.  Power  from  on  high  is  not 
yet  necessarj^  to  administer  water  baptism 
but  it  is  indispensable  to  preaching  the 
Gospel. 

Altho  this  power  came  in  fulness  at 
Pentecost,  yet  Paul  and  legions  more 
have  received  this  power  since  Pentecost. 

Farrar  sa3's  :  This  miracle  is  not  tran-  Ljfg 
sient  but  is  continuously  renewed.    Not    st.  Paul 
to  a  narrow^  apostolate  in  an  upper  cham-  52^3 
ber  at  Jerusalem.    It  is  a  vivifj'ing  wind 
that  breathes  henceforth  in  all  ages.  It 
revived  a  w^orld.    It  is  the  power  of  an 
endless  life.    A  tide  of  light  which  is 
rolling  and  shall  roll  from  shore  to  shore 
until  the  Earth  is  full  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea  : 
in  this  aspect  the  outward  symbol  smks 
into  subordinate  importance . 


68 


Conclusion 


We  think  :  In  this  aspect  the  outward 
symbol  sinks  eiitirely. 

There  are  many  Scripture  testimonies 
that  the  apostles  were  instrumental  in 
baptizing  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

\  Peter  \,\t\2  To   strangers    scattered  throughout 

Pontus,  Galatia,  Asia,  Cappadocia,  and 
Bithynia  the  Gospel  was  preached  "with 
the  Holy  Spirit  sent  down  from  Heaven. " 

Were  not  these  scattered  strangers  of 
many  lands  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
through  Gospel  preaching  as  Christ  in- 
tended when  he  commissioned  his  dis- 
ciples to  go  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  ? 

\  Thes.  J. 5  By  Paul's  ministry  the  Thessalonians 

received  the  Gospel  with  power  and  with 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

\  Qou  2A  Paul  preached  to  the  Corinthians  ;  not 

with  the  enticing  words  of  man's  wdsdom 
but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of 
power. 

Luke  24.49  As  Christ  commissioned  his  apostles  so 

Paul  preached  with  power  from  on  high. 
Acts  J0.44  As  Peter  preached  to  the  household 

Acts  nj5  of  Cornelius  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon 

all  who  heard. 

This  household  of  Cornelius  to  whom 
Peter  preached,  the  Thessalonians  and 


Conclusion 


69 


Corinthians  to  whom  Paul  preached  and 
the  scattered  strangers  who  received  the 
Gospel  with  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  down 
from  Heaven  and  hosts  more  not  men- 
tioned were  all  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  through  Gospel  preaching  as 
Christ  intended  when  he  commanded  his 
apostles. 

Go  teach  all  nations,  baptizing.  Mat,  28J9 

Go  preach  the  Gospel  to  ever}-  crea-  Mark  16.15 
ture. 

Preach  among  all  nations.  Luke  24.47 

As  my  Father  hath  sent  me  even  so  I  Jno.  20.21 
send  you. 

Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me  to  the     Acts  1.8 

uttermost  parts  of  the  earth. 

Preach  unto  the  people.  Acts  10.42 

Preach  the  Gospel.  J  Cor.  IA7 

But  tarry  ye  at  Jerusalem  until  endued    Luke  24.49 

with  power  from  on  high. 

Wait  in  Jerusalem  for  the  promise  of    Acts  Ui 

the  Father  which  said  he  ye  have  heard 

of  me. 

How  very  weak  it  seems  and  how  en- 
tirely foreign  even  to  think  of  water  in 
connection  with  these  last  words  of  our 
Saviour. 

He  is  indeed  with  his  dependent  chil- 


70 


Conclusion 


ren  in  this  our  day.  While  he  baptizes 
them  with  the  Holy  Spirit  immediately 
he  also  uses  many  and  varied  means  and 
instruments. 

Acts  JO  45  Upon  servants  and  handmaidens  the 

Joel  2,28  Holy  Spirit  is  now  poured  out  as  foretold 

ActsVs^  by  the  prophet  Joel  and  by  John  the 

Acts  UA(>  Baptist  and  promised  by  Christ. 

Sons  and  daughters  do  now  prophesy 

with  power  from  on  high. 
Acts  J0.45  We  admire  and  wonder  as  did  Peter 

at  this  baptizing  power. 

We  remember  the  word  of  the  Lord 
Acts  how  he  said  John  indeed  baptized  with 

water. 

Acts  U.J6  But  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 

Spirit. 


<»  ^ 

J      ^^^^E  have  printed  for  the  author  J 

<^  eight  thousand  of  these  book-  ^ 

J      lets  entitled     Why  Friends  (Quak-  J 

<^      ers)  Do  Not  Baptize  With  Water."  ^ 

^      A  cop3^  is  being  mailed  to  each  of  ^ 

<^  ^ 

the  Public,  Theological,  and  School  ^ 

libraries  in  the  United  States  and 
<^      Canada ;    also  a  few  to  England, 

Australia,  &c.  ^ 

<^         bend  us  twenty-five  cents  m  com  ^ 

^      or  stamps  and  we  will  mail  one  of  % 

<^      these  booklets  postpaid,  to  any  ad-  ^ 

dress  in  this  countr\^  or  the  British  % 

<^      possessions.  ^ 


I    The  Leeds  &  Biddle  Co.  | 

<^  921  Filbert  Street  ^ 

<^  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  U.  S.  A.  ^ 


Date  Due 

